1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the cleaning of carpets and hard surfaces, indoor or outdoor.
2. Prior Art
A commercial grade "steam" carpet cleaner is typically mounted in a van. It includes a power unit and a vacuum tank. The power unit is connected to a water source at the job site with a garden hose. A cleaning agent is added to the water by the power unit. The water is also heated and pumped by the power unit to a cleaning tool via a supply hose. When the tool is stroked along a carpet, the hot water is sprayed onto the carpet. A partial vacuum is applied to the vacuum tank by the power unit, so that the water and residue are immediately extracted by the cleaning tool, and collected in the vacuum tank via a return hose. After the power unit is turned off, the waste water in the vacuum tank is dumped into a sewer system.
Such a conventional machine must be connected to a clean, pressurized water source. It uses a large amount of fresh water, and converts it into waste water. The waste water is dumped into the sewer system, which adds more volume to the already over-loaded treatment plants. It cannot be used for cleaning hard surfaces, such as parking lots, because sand and gravel will clog the vacuum tank and drain line, and there is no place to dump the waste water at such locations.